A study from a Hungarian university seems to show that dogs understand what you are saying and how you are saying it.
The research focused on family dogs that were taught to stay down for 7 minutes without moving. The dogs were then brain scanned and during the scan their owners spoke words of praise in both neutral and higher-pitched (happy) sounds,
With neutral words only the left side of the brains lit up under the scanner. With happy, tonal sounds only the right side of the brain lit up. This is the same way humans process language, according to Wired.com.
When praise was spoken in words with a happy tone, both regions of the brain lit up, suggesting the dog knew the word and meaning.
The researchers' conclusion: Language is not uniquely human.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
